Speed Doesn't Kill - People Do

Our transport minister, Sbu Ndebele says he wants to start a debate on the reduction of the speed limit. Well, here's my take on the speed limit and road safety in general. (Note: if you still have problems commenting, select "comment as anonymous". Seems to work). Enjoy:

Let me start with a small disclaimer here: I love speed. There are few things in this world that come close to matching the near orgasmic feeling of putting your foot deep into the well of a car with a big engine and having sheer force suck you into the deep recesses of your seat! If you've ever been in a BMW or Audi or Merc or any other of a myriad of powerful cars, I'm more than 90% sure you're nodding your head round about now.

Now, the minister's argument, and we've seen this on countless Arrive Alive boards, is that speed kills. This argument is based on the fact that at higher speeds, you can't react in time (by the time you react you will have covered more distance than if you'd been traveling at a lower speed). The impact at higher speeds is also harder than at lower speeds, so your chances of fatal injury also increase because of the heavier impact. Fair points which I can not dispute.

What I do dispute, however, is the notion that lowering the speed limit will reduce deaths on our roads. I have a theory that accidents don't happen because of one factor - and speed is just that, ONE factor. I firmly believe accidents happen when people:

1. Drive unroadworthy vehicles
2. Don't stop to rest when they're tired
3. Drive under the influence
4. Attempt to overtake on busy roads/blind curves
5. Drive recklessly
6. Speed in unsafe conditions
7. Don't allow other motorists to overtake (by hogging the "fast lane" or speeding up when being overtaken)
8. Switch lanes without indicating, etc.

I could go on and on with this list, but I think you get the idea. You also need to factor in that all of the above could happen, but if the other driver that would've been in the accident is experienced and level headed enough to react, an accident can still be avoided.

Which brings me to the crux of my argument against reducing the speed limit. Honestly, given the level of cars (even entry models) in the market, a level headed, experienced driver in a basic 1.4 litre Polo can drive on a clear day at 160kmh+ without any issues. If another car veers out of its lane or a buck jumps into the road, she would most likely be able to react and avoid a possibly fatal collision. Put an 18 year old driver who has just bou...I mean "passed" their license last week in the same situation and you have a funeral on your hands. Even at 60kmh in a not so modern vehicle, with a driver whose first instinct is to freeze, hoot or even swerve with no thought to how the vehicle will react, you will most likely have fatalities on your hands - and THAT is where the problem lies.

I admit again, as I did above that speed cannot be discounted as a factor when we consider the likelihood of an accident being fatal, but I challenge our minister to look beyond the obvious in his attempt to curb road deaths. I say we start with removing unroadworthy vehicles from our roads - impound and destroy these vehicles. I say we suspend the licenses of anyone found driving under the influence - the same applying for reckless drivers. I say make our licensing system more efficient and effective so that people can get their licenses the right way - why not afford pupils the chance to test for their learners and drivers licenses in high school?

Then, when all of those factors have been dealt with, maybe have a look at our speed limits. If anything, I'd say you'll probably save more lives by increasing the speed limits because people won't feel the need to slam on their breaks whenever they see traffic officers - even when they're driving within the legal limit! Besides, if speed really was the biggest cause of road deaths, I think it's safe to say that everyone in Germany would be dead by now.